Billiard and other game table.



C. WESLOW'.

BILLIARD AND OTHER GAME TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1917

Patented Mar. 19, 19,18.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

C. WESLOW.

BILLIARD AND OTHER GAME TABLE.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25.19M- 1,259,694w Patented Mar.19,191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 11657 65565 v [nvemiar jaw? 6%arZe 560w,

CHARLES WESLOVT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

BILLIARD AND OTHER GAME TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed June 26, 1917. Serial No. 176,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES l/VnsLow, a citizen of the United States,residing in Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Billiard and other GameTables, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved pool or billiardtable for use in playing any or all of the various games of billiard orpool type, which are played upon a substantially horizontal tablesurrounded by cushioned rails having resilient inner surfaces, theimpact against which throws the ball away therefrom; and such tables ofmy improved form, are of an extremely simple and cheap form ofconstruction; easily and quickly adjusted into level; and the resilientor cushioned portions of the rails of the table, are easily and quicklyrenewable at very small cost.

In Figures 1 to 3 inclusive I have shown my said invention as adapted toa table of the pool-type having six pockets, one at each corner, and'oneupon either of the longest dimensioned sides, located at or adjacent tothe centers thereof.

My said invention is fully shown and described in the followingspecification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part; whereinsimilar letters or numerals of reference designate like or equivalentparts wherever found throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 shows a top side view in perspective of my improved form ofsix-pocket pool-table; while Figs. 2 and 3 are views in detail ofvarious portions of the table so constructed; and

Fig. 4 is a top side View in perspective of the corner portion of atable, showing my invention as adapted for and applied to tables of thewell-known billiard table type, unprovided with pockets.

Fig. 5 is a detail side view in vertical section of a corner of thetable and its supporting leg of a modified form of construction.

Fig. 6 is an end inner view in detail of a modified form of cushioningrail.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a table corner of the pool-table shown inFigs. 1 and 2 showing such table transformed into a nonpooketbilliard-table, by the insertion in the pockets of removablepocket-closing blocks.

smooth upper surface, which may be of any a suitable material; and B arethe side rails superposed upon and rigidly secured to such top or bed Aat theends and sides thereof, in any suitable manner, usually by screwsor nails as shown. In the pool-table type, pockets C are made in andthrough the table-top or bed at the corners, and like pockets C,adjacent to the center of each of the longest sides, and the ends of theside and end rails B are angled as indicated at 1, so as to permit freepassage of the balls into such pockets C and C, through which they passinto a suitable box or receptacle K.

The side rails D are provided at the ends with substantially V or Ushaped slots 3, usually and preferably formed only in the straight facedend portions l of such rails; and to form the resilient, elasticrail-cushions to throw back the halls upon the tabletop A, along theinner side of such rails are arranged suitable resilient or elasticstrips or hands D, usually and preferably of highly elastic rubber,which are preferably tightly stretched, and held in place by having theends thereof drawn tightly into the V or U shaped slots 8 in the railends, as indicated at 5 of Fig. 1; or the same may be secured in placeand preferably under tension in any other desired manner.

Such bands may be of any suitable resilient material, that will causethe balls to rebound therefrom with what may be termed a billiarddeflect; and in Fig. 6 instead of the resilient elastic rubber-bandshown in Fig. 1, I have shown a metallic coil-spring used in the placeof such rubber hand. For cheapness of construction, and in order to beable to quickly transform the pocket pooltable as shown in Fig. 1, intoa non-pocketed billiard table, upon which an ordinary 3 or 4 ball, or apin-pool billiard game may be executed; and in Fig. 7 I have shown indetail a top plan view of a removable plug in position therein, whichmay be inserted in the corner pockets'of the table to close ends of theresilient bands D, similar 'to the bands D of the main portion of themain-rails; but as this resilient band must be brought into'the cornerinto the forin of a right angled reentrant triangle the center of suchband D is secured in place'by a nail or bolt 10:; and for the purpose ofsecuring the plug 11in position in the pocket a reniovable securing pinis. inserted in the corner-plug when in position in the angle of thewire stop-guard E.

I Each of the pockets 0 and O is-provided above the same with a suitablestop-guard Etc defieet the balls into the pockets and prevent thesa nefroin passing'ofi' the table; each usually andpreferablyconsisting of aWire bent intothe outwardly bowed forin shown in 1 and each havingdownwardly extending prongs bent at right angles thereto at "either end,which fit into suitable perforations at 6, formed to receive them inthe'upper portionsof the side rails B. r The plugs which fill the centerpocket Q differonly frorn the plugs which'fill the corner pockets inthat the rubber bands D havenoangles, and are straight as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 1.

It will beseen thatwhen the rubber or other materialv used for thecushions D or 1) becomes deteriorated through age or use, that theoldworn-out bands inay be instantaneously removed, and new and perfectones as instantaneously replaced in position.

As hereinbefore described, the game table consists only of a; leglessbed A, and the other described parts superposed thereupon and the sarnemay beplaced upon any table or other suitable support, and used forplaying. However, I may provide feet F which when not v desired for use,may be taken off and stored away, and will take up butlittl'e space; andwhen such supporting feet are used, the same n ay be of any desired formand material, usually wood; and as shown inFigzfi, where the feet aredesired 7 to be removably and adjustably attached to the bed A,they maybe secured thereto by suitable screws 12 and provided with rounded tips13, of rubber or metal or other suitable material. Another forin inwhich the feet F are removable and readily adjustable as to. height forleveling the table is'shown in Fig.2, wherein the rnain body portion ofthe foot consists of a main footmember 13 provided with a like tip 13.In the top of the foot-member 13 is located a substantially U-shapedresilient bow or leg-holder, consisting of a securing springineniber,fitting into the cavity li formed in or adjacent to a corner of theghed. By these arrangements the table bed can be leveled, irrespectiveof the irregularity of the floor or other surface upon which it issupported. y

Inthe modified forni of Figs. '8; and 9, the side rails 13 are providedwith inner grooves in which lie the cushions, which in this casecomprise a singleendlcss band 13 of rubber orthe like. In Fig. 8,soin'e'iftfhe pockets are shown exposed, as for a pooltable, whileothers are closed, as for a billiard table.

when thetable is used as'apool-table and the pockets exposed, the bandat each corner pocket is carried behind a block M placed between theends of the adjacent rails B to the outsideof the pockets, At'the sidepockets,the bandis carried around the 'iipright's Nsecured to the sideof the bed at metatside of the side pockets. The, band D is madeshort'enough'to give sufficient tension so that by means of 'thi sarraiigenie it, the. cushions forining'portions "of the band, arefirrnly'held in the grooves. v When the table i tohe used as a billiardtable, thefband is. removed from: around the uprights N, and thespace-between thefends of the [side rails D is filled with a groovedplug 0 madeto fit snugly in said spaceand form a continuation of thefront faceof'the side rails, the groove P oftheplugforining acontinuation of the "groove or, the side rails.

At the. corner the-pocket is "closed "by "a notched plug Q, the notchformingfthecbrner ofthe table. This iiotchlis also provided with groovesB fo-rrninga. continuation of the grooves of the siderails,andterminating at the cut-away portion Sat theftip of-the plug.The elastic band is passed through said grooves and said cut awaywportion .and around the. block Miasfshownr Thenotched plug is'hel'd inplaceby the elig agenientof its beveled portion T under 'the under-cutportion U of the cornerblock M.. In the form of foot F shOWn'in'Fi'g.10, the foot nieinber 13? i provided with an axial cavity 15 passingentirely there,- through, in which'is'placed a resilient split key 16vhaving its lower curvedendil6 ex,- tending below'thefoot member to forma hearingsurface, nd its upp'er'rsilie'nt end portions extending intoand frictionally engaging in the, cavit'yl l i'n'the bed 6i the table.The'height lof'thesje feetinay headjusted by drawing the resilient endportions part the way] out efsaid cavity, or the legs be removed; by drain the resinent manners. allf of the'way out.v

Many modifications in V the censti'uction of my improved form ofbilliard and pool-table herein shown, described and claimed, may be madewithout departing from the scope of my invention and I do not intend tolimit myself to the exact forms thereof shown.

I claim 1. In a device of the class described, a table-top or bed; arailing superposed upon such table or bed formin a raised boundary; anda resilient or elastic cushioning strip band superposed longitudinallyupon the inner face of such railing secured in position by having theends thereof secured in slots in the rail members under tension.

2. In a device of the class described, a table-top or bed, a railingsuperposed upon such table or bed forming a rectangular raised boundary,composed of four rail-members and a resilient or elastic cushioningstrip band, superposed upon the inner face of such railing and securedin position by having the ends thereof secured in binding securing slotsin the ends of the rail members.

3. In a device of the class described, a

table-top or bed having pockets formed therein at the corners and at thecenters of the longest sides; side and end rails mounted upon andsecured to said table top or bed, extending from pocket to pocket,having the ends cut off at the inner s1de portions at an angle ofapproximately 45 degrees, and at a substantially right angle at the rearportions; binding securing-slots in the right angled portions of suchrails, the space between the ends of such rails being sufficient topermit of the balls dropping into the pockets, a cushioning strip bandof resilient materlal secured at the ends in the binding securing-slotsof each of the rails; and stops extending over the pockets from the endof one rail to the abutting end of another, for deflecting the ballsinto the pockets and for preventing the same from passing out over suchpockets.

CHARLES WESLOW. Witnesses:

H. M. KILPATRICK, H. D. PENNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of fidteata.

Washington, D. G.

